Gianluca Vernillo, PhD

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Availability

Upon request

Area of Study / Keywords

Corticospinal Excitability Neuromuscular Fatigue TMS (Ultra)Trail-Running Ultra-marathon

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About

Degrees

• PhD (Concentration: Sport physiology; 
Secondary areas: Exercise physiology, endurance performance), University of Milan, 2012
• MSc (Kinesiology), University of Milan, 2006
• BSc (Kinesiology), University of Milan, 2004

Background

• 2023-Present: Assistant Professor, Sport and Exercise Science program, University of Alberta - Augustana campus.
• 2013-2016 and 2017-2023: Assistant Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Milan.
• 2020: Visiting Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary.
• 2018: Research Assistant, Faculty of Kinesiology. University of Calgary.
• 2016-2017: Postdoctoral research fellow, Faculty of kinesiology, University of Calgary.
• 2015 and 2016: Visiting Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary.
• 2013-2014: Visiting Professor, Institute of Sport Science (ISSUL), University of Lausanne.
• 2012-2013: Postdoctoral research fellow, CeRiSM, Research Center ‘Sport, Mountain and Health’, University of Verona.

Brief executive summary 

I joined the Sport and Exercise Science program in the Department of Social Sciences at the University of Alberta - Augustana campus in 2023. My research explores how the human neuromuscular system regulates muscle fatigue, particularly during extreme physical duress. Before coming to Canada, I spent 10 years as an assistant professor at the University of Milan. My academic work is heavily shaped by practical experience with elite international athletes, including:

• 2004-2006 Athens Olympics: Internship with gold-medalist race walker Ivano Brugnetti.
• 2006-2009 Beijing Olympics: Assistant coach for the elite Kenyan marathon team.
• 2010-2014 Sochi Olympics: Head of strength and conditioning/exercise physiologist for the Italian national snowboard and freestyle team.

I later deepened my specialized focus during visiting and post-doctoral research tenures at the University of Calgary’s Neuromuscular Fatigue Laboratory alongside Prof. Guillaume Millet. Today, I blend these high-performance athletic insights with rigorous academic research to mentor the next generation of kinesiology professionals.

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Research

I lead a research program at the University of Alberta - Augustana campus focusing on the neurophysiology of neuromuscular adaptations and ultra-marathon performance, specifically investigating fatigue mechanisms and modulating factors like age and sex. Supported by funding from NSERC, CFI/JELF, and the Government of Alberta, the lab is expanding to recruit undergraduate and graduate students for Fall 2026.

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Teaching

I bring elite-athletic and evidence-based insights into the classroom, using student-centred pedagogy to bridge the gap between complex physiological theory and real-world relevance. Instructing five courses (and two directed study courses) across the undergraduate curriculum, I utilize inclusive strategies in foundational classes like Exercise Physiology (AUSES 314), while employing high-impact practices in advanced electives like Physiological Factors and Principles of Human Performance (AUSES 343) to transition students from theoretical understanding to technical mastery.

Recruiting students

We are currently recruiting undergraduate and graduate students to join our research group! Specifically, we are recruiting:

• Undergraduate students for Summer 2027
• Undergraduate honours thesis students for Fall 2026 and Winter 2027
• Graduate students (PhD and MSc) to begin January 2026

AUSES 232 - Introduction to Biomechanics

Study of the application of physical laws to movement and structure. Principles of motion, force, and equilibrium are stressed. Various sport skills are examined from a biomechanical perspective. Prerequisite: AUPED 112 (2026) or AUSES 112.

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AUSES 314 - Exercise Physiology

Study of the physiological response of the human body to acute exercise and to chronic exercise (training). Prerequisite: AUPED 215 (2026) or AUSES 215.

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AUSES 317 - Fitness Appraisal and Exercise Prescription

Study of both theoretical and practical skill-sets in the fundamentals of lifestyle appraisal and exercise prescription to assist individuals acquire health and well-being outcomes across all ages. There will be an opportunity to explore the therapeutic use of exercise in other chronic conditions independently. Prerequisites: AUPED 314 (2026) or AUSES 314 or consent of the instructor.

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AUSES 343 - Physiological Factors and Principles of Human Performance

Study of the physiological factors and principles of training affecting human performance. The course emphasizes physiological adaptation, specificity, and factors that influence the training process. Prerequisite: AUPED 314 (2026) or AUSES 314.

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AUSES 393 - Physiological Assessment of Human Fitness

Study of protocols and the physiological principles underlying tests of fitness and performance assessment. Prerequisites: AUSTA 153; AUPED 314 (2026) or AUSES 314. Note: Students must have at least third year standing.

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AUSES 490 - Directed Study I

Intensive study of a specific area of Sport and Exercise Science as defined by the student and a supervising instructor. Prerequisites: Third-year standing and consent of the instructor. Note: An Application for Individual Study must be completed and approved before registration in the course.

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AUSES 491 - Directed Study II

Intensive study of a specific area of Sport and Exercise Science as defined by the student and a supervising instructor. Prerequisites: Third-year standing and consent of the instructor. Note: An Application for Individual Study must be completed and approved before registration in the course.

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Browse more courses taught by Gianluca Vernillo

Chiara Barbi, John Temesi, Gaia Giuriato, Fabio Giuseppe Laginestra, Camilla Martignon, Tatiana Moro, Guillaume Y. Millet, Federico Schena, Massimo Venturelli, Gianluca Vernillo

European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2026 May; 10.1007/s00421-025-06111-7

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Gianluca Vernillo, Guillaume Y. Millet

Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. 2026 January; 10.1139/apnm-2025-0437

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Amir Mohammad Malvandi, Gianluca Vernillo, Veronica Sansoni, Martina Faraldi, Chiara Verdelli, Giuseppe Coratella, Giorgio Varesco, Vianney Rozand, Krystian Wochna, Laurent Mourot, Giovanni Lombardi

2025 November; 6 (11):e70480 10.1002/mco2.70480

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Giuseppe Coratella, Giorgio Varesco, Vianney Rozand, Benjamin Cuinet, Veronica Sansoni, Giovanni Lombardi, Gianluca Vernillo, Laurent Mourot

European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2024 June; 10.1007/s00421-023-05412-z

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Chiara Barbi, John Temesi, Gaia Giuriato, Fabio Giuseppe Laginestra, Camilla Martignon, Tatiana Moro, Federico Schena, Massimo Venturelli, Gianluca Vernillo

American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. 2024 May; 10.1152/ajpregu.00174.2023

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Gaia Giuriato, Maria Grazia Romanelli, Desirée Bartolini, Gianluca Vernillo, Anna Pedrinolla, Tatiana Moro, Martino Franchi, Elena Locatelli, Mehran Emadi Andani, Fabio Giuseppe Laginestra, Chiara Barbi, Gloria Fiorini Aloisi, Valentina Cavedon, Chiara Milanese, Elisa Orlandi, Tonia De Simone, Stefania Fochi, Cristina Patuzzo, Giovanni Malerba, Paolo Fabene, Massimo Donadelli, Anna Maria Stabile, Alessandra Pistilli, Mario Rende, Francesco Galli, Federico Schena, Massimo Venturelli

Acta Physiologica. 2024 April; 10.1111/apha.14118

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Gianluca Vernillo, Matheus Aguiar, Aldo Savoldelli, Aaron Martinez, Marlene Giandolini, Nicolas Horvais, W. Brent Edwards, Guillaume Y. Millet

International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. 2024 January; 10.1123/ijspp.2023-0439

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Arash Khassetarash, Michael Baggaley, Gianluca Vernillo, Guillaume Y. Millet, W. Brent Edwards

European Journal of Sport Science. 2023 April; 10.1080/17461391.2022.2048083

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Marta Colosio, Letizia Rasica, Giovanni Baldassarre, John Temesi, Gianluca Vernillo, Mauro Marzorati, Simone Porcelli

American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. 2022 September; 10.1152/ajpregu.00173.2021

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Giorgio Varesco, Giuseppe Coratella, Vianney Rozand, Benjamin Cuinet, Giovanni Lombardi, Laurent Mourot, Gianluca Vernillo

European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2022 September; 10.1007/s00421-022-04990-8

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Gianluca Vernillo, Arash Khassetarash, Guillaume Y. Millet, John Temesi

Experimental Brain Research. 2021 January; 10.1007/s00221-020-05921-9

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Gianluca Vernillo, John Temesi, Matthieu Martin, Renata L. Krüger, Guillaume Y. Millet

Journal of Neurophysiology. 2020 September; 10.1152/jn.00273.2020

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Arash Khassetarash, Gianluca Vernillo, Aaron Martinez, Michael Baggaley, Marlene Giandolini, Nicolas Horvais, Guillaume Y. Millet, William Brent Edwards

Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. 2020 September; 10.1111/sms.13735

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Gianluca Vernillo, Aaron Martinez, Michael Baggaley, Arash Khassetarash, Marlene Giandolini, Nicolas Horvais, William Brent Edwards, Guillaume Y. Millet

Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. 2020 September; 10.1111/sms.13708

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Gianluca Vernillo, Matheus Aguiar, Aldo Savoldelli, Aaron Martinez, Marlene Giandolini, Nicolas Horvais, W. Brent Edwards, Guillaume Y. Millet

European Journal of Sport Science. 2020 May; 10.1080/17461391.2019.1645212

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John Temesi, Gianluca Vernillo, Matthieu Martin, Renata L. Krüger, Chris J. McNeil, Guillaume Y. Millet

Neuroscience. 2019 December; 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.09.029

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Gianluca Vernillo, John Temesi, Matthieu Martin, Guillaume Y Millet

2018 February; 50 (2):334-343 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001445

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Frontiers in Physiology. 2018 January; 10.3389/fphys.2018.00770

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Gait and Posture. 2018 January; 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2018.04.042

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Journal of Sports Sciences. 2018 January; 10.1080/02640414.2018.1504604

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Sports Medicine. 2017 January; 10.1007/s40279-016-0605-y

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Frontiers in Physiology. 2017 January; 10.3389/fphys.2017.01003

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International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. 2017 January; 10.1123/ijspp.2015-0745

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Frontiers in Physiology. 2017 January; 10.3389/fphys.2017.00783

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Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2017 January; 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001469

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Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports. 2017 January; 10.1111/sms.12718

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Frontiers in Physiology. 2016 January; 10.3389/fphys.2016.00530

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European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2016 January; 10.1007/s00421-016-3437-4

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European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2016 January; 10.1007/s00421-015-3256-z

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International Journal of Sports Medicine. 2016 January; 10.1055/s-0035-1569347

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Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. 2016 January;

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Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. 2016 January; 10.1097/JSM.0000000000000194

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Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports. 2015 January; 10.1111/sms.12325

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Journal of Sports Sciences. 2015 January; 10.1080/02640414.2015.1022870

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European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2014 January; 10.1007/s00421-014-2824-y

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Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. 2013 January;

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